A final grip

I am one recalcitrant market shopper. I seem to have a problem letting the warmer days go – I have recently bought the last of the tenacious corn on the cob; not quite juicy tomatoes, and even, green beans clearly beyond their prime. All these last season foods have recently made it to my plate. In truth, I know these items are taking their curtain call, and I must solider up and let the season close.

I have always suffered some degree of seasonal disorder, and perhaps there lies my distress with the sun setting on summer. Though not all is dark and frosty. Perusing the stalls the other day I spied cilantro that had been allowed to flower and proceed to seed. Now, these seeds are more commonly recognized as coriander. It tickled me to see those still immature seeds, and reminded me of a moment in Australia when I spent an afternoon winnowing coriander seeds free from their stems. It was a prefect tropical day about 8 hours north of Sydney, and the world I was visiting was temporarily filled with the scent of coriander, cockatoos calling for a mate and me.

I have been throwing the green seeds into various vegetable cook-ups. I did of course, bury a bit in my usual salt preserve, and I just needed to put up one last pickle – coriander carrots.











Pickled Coriander Carrots – 1 quart
1-1/2 pounds small carrots – cut into 2 to 3 inch sticks
1-1/4 cups white distilled vinegar
2-tablespoons kosher salt
1-tablespoon whole coriander seed
1-teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/4-cup bottle water

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, and add the carrots. Blanch the carrots for a minute, then
drain the carrots and run under cold water.

Bring the vinegar and salt t the boil to dissolve the salt.

Place the coriander and peppercorns in a sterilized glass jar, and then snuggly fit the
carrots in. Pour in the vinegar and water, and fit with a lid lined with plastic warp.

Refrigerate for one to two weeks before eating.